Carbon Nanotubes Synthesis

Numerous interesting and useful physicochemical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have made them one of the most fascinating nanomaterials for decades. Although it was a fortuitous discovery at the beginning, many methods have been documented for its synthesis with arguments, criticisms, and appeals. Increasing applications of CNTs from tennis racket to space elevator has pressed its demands for industrial production and invention of novel methods for large-scale synthesis with desirable features. This chapter comprehensively describes major CNT synthetic schemes with highlighted features and growth mechanisms with reasonable illustrations in diagrams and tables, which made them understandable even to a non-professional reader. It also postulates latest developments in the field to understand the roles of carbon feedstock, catalysts, and temperature along with other minor parameters to tune the CNT synthesis procedures for yielding industrial grade CNTs with desired properties. To complement that, current kinetics and reaction engineering aspects are also discussed. This chapter would serve as a reference guide in the field to demonstrate novel synthetic methods and expand denovo CNT-based applications.